All was now right with the world and I decide to crank out some miles and get into the rhythm of the bike. A steady rain the previous night provided the day with that cool, moist, air lightly scented with the fragrant aroma of the forest. I rode with my visor opened a touch savoring the feel of it on my face and the pure sweetness of it in every breath I took.

After a while the torture device BMW lovingly refers to as it's stock seat dictated a stop. Guard rails and narrow shoulders meant I needed to turn down an alternate road or come across a pull out.

A few miles down the road I see a paved pull out As I coast in that pure sweetness i am breathing is replaced by the familiar odor of death and decay that seems to flow through your nostrils and coat the back of your throat and mouth with a thick viscous oily substance.

Peering over the guard rail I find.........

The Source​

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Wiley Coyote has left the building. I'm left wondering did he die on that spot from natural causes or has the State of New York decided that one of the ways to close their massive budget deficit is to simply heave road kill off at convenient rest stops rather than doing whatever they usually do with it. I did'nt even bother to take my helmet and gloves off, so I just held my breath as long as possible and rode on.

Fortune was shining on me however and just a few more clicks up the road I spotted......

This​

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And in the 20 minutes or so I lingered along its grassy banks and rocky shores ,in sharp contrast to my last stop I found various shapes and forms of...

Antonteax - Some times I wait, sometimes I search. The snapping turtle was just off the shoulder of the road laying eggs, I assume she came from the marsh on the opposite side of the road as I believe they would avoid flowing rivers and streams, the frog was in a little still pool right on the shore . the turkeys wandered up while i was sitting quietly and I managed just 2 shots before they spooked - sometimes you get lucky. BTW smokin website you got, great photography and great shooting tips

Altough the road I was on offered beautiful scenery it was also one of the roughest paved roads I've ever traveled so I pulled a U turn and retraced my route for a bit until I came to a promising looking right turn and proceeded south

And even though I missed.........

The Rodeo Cowboys​

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I did get to see............

The Whitewater Cowboys​

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But the appointed lunch meeting was coming closer and I had one more stop to make beforehand. As I started away the thought comes unbidden to mind, that even though on the road we travel sometimes we hit a ....

so I do The Hadley Luzerne are offers great white water rafting, tubing and kayaking opportunities and while you won't encounter the class IV and V rapids of the big rivers of the western states there are plenty of class III rapids. All of these however depend on the release of water from the dam and for this they depend on.........

Brookfield Power​

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And a great place to see this phenomenon is also..........

Historic​

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Though the sign states it was closed in 83 it is open albeit as a single lane.

The next two shots are taken from a similar vantage point on the bank showing ....

Before The Flood​

And...

After The Flood​

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And the next two were taken from the deck of the bridge

And naturally when the river is flowing it brings out.......

Smiling Faces​

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A couple miles away brings me to Stewart Bridge. Standing on the bridge this is the view to the ..........​

East​

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This is the Hudson River, the blue water in the background is the main branch and flowing from it is one of its offshoots ( also this is the narrowest point in the entire 315 mile length of the Hudson)

And looking.........

West​

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It joins the Sacandaga river. for a point of reference if you hung a right just past the remnants of the concrete wall in the middke right of the picture you would see the Parabolic Bridge about 50 yards up

My blood sugar is getting low a 180 and head North yet again hoping to find a good lunch

Jeebus. Trade the ceiling "art" for a few college pennants and I'd swear I was having a beer at the Garrison. Sure, I'd have to ignore that there was a window looking west where that door is, but still . . .